For,
from Pliny's doubt how he was to act, his silence concerning any
subsisting law on the subject, his requesting the emperor's rescript,
and the emperor, agreeably to his request, propounding a rule for his
direction without reference to any prior rule, it may be inferred that
there was, at that time, no public edict in force against the
Christians. Yet from this same epistle of Pliny it appears "that
accusations, trials, and examinations, were, and had been, going on
against them in the provinces over which he presided; that schedules
were delivered by anonymous informers, containing the names of persons
who were suspected of holding or of favouring the religion; that, in
consequence of these informations, many had been apprehended, of whom
some boldly avowed their profession, and died in the cause; others
denied that they were Christians; others, acknowledging that they had
once been Christians, declared that they had long ceased to be such."
All which demonstrates that the profession of Christianity was at that
time (in that country at least) attended with fear and danger: and yet
this took place without any edict from the Roman sovereign, commanding
or authorizing the persecution of Christians.
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